Pipelaying toy truck



Jan.

14, 1969 D. E. DOWNEY PIPE LAYING TOY TRUCK Filed Jan. 17. 1966 lNl/f N TOR.

Dar/b E. Don/Nay United States Patent 3,421,252 PIPELAYING TOY TRUCK David E. Downey, Rte. 31, Road 3, Lyons, N.Y. 14489 Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 521,182 US. Cl. 46-40 Claims Int. Cl. A63h 17/05 This invention relates to toy trucks, and more particularly a pipe laying toy truck.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a pipe laying toy truck adapted to discharge simulated pipe pieces from the rear end of the battery operated truck, also provisions are made for automatic disposal of pipe support members from said truck thereby forming a simulated pipe-line.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pipe laying toy truck which performs pipe laying operations when the truck moves in a forward direction at a slow speed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pipelaying toy truck which features ejection mechanism used to dispose the supporting members for the pipe-line.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pipe-laying toy truck which is of a rigid construction, inexpensive to manufacture and is of educational value to the children.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of this invention showing a pipe and support in phantom lines.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the pipe ejecting chain shown removed from the invention.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1 showing the drive mechanism for the pipes.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the pipe support block ejecting mechanism.

According to this invention a pipe-laying toy truck is provided with a truck body 11 which includes an engine 12 operable by electric batteries (not shown). A plurality of wheels 13 are rotatably supporting body 11. A cylindrical outer drum 14 having pivotable door 15 is adapted to support an inner drum 16 which is, in turn, provided with a dual slot 17. A plurality of pipes 18 are positioned within said elongated slot and are adapted to be disposed from inner drum 16 through a bottom slot 20 when said slot comes into an alignment with one end of slot 17 during slow rotation of said inner drum 16. Guiding chute 21 is secured beneath slot 20 for guiding pipe 18 after said pipe is separated from the inner drum 16. Rotation of the inner drum 16 is accomplished through gear 26 which is adapted to slowly rotate drive shaft 19 of said inner drum 16. Gear 26 is driven by a drive gear mounted on drive shaft 24 which is extending from the engine or motor 12. The vehicle is driven forwardly through gear 28 connected to idler gear 27 and driven gear 29 mounted on shaft 30. The rotation of gear 29 is synchronized with one of the front wheels 13 by means of a belt 41. It should be noted that shaft 30 also carries pulley 31 which is spaced from another pulley 32 by an endless chain 33 which chain and pulleys are suitably mounted within the rear portion of body 11 beneath the outer drum 14. Chain 33 is provided with an ejection rod 34 adapted to eject support members 22 through ramps 23. Actual ejection mechanism is provided with an ejection housing 35 having spring member 36 suitably positioned therein. An ejection lever 37 is pivotally mounted on frame 11 at pivot 37' and is adapted to actuate spring 36 in accordance with removal of one pipe 11 through slot 20 and guiding chute 21. One end of lever 37 is provided with a balancing pin 40 which is "ice also secured to ejection handle 39 by means of a slotted connection 40'. Handle 39 is pivotally mounted on frame 11 at pivot 39'. The top portion of handle 39 and a segment of frame 11 are connected by means of spring 38 which is adapted to retract handle 39 after lever 37 returns into inoperative position. Support members 22 are removed from housing 35 through an opening 42.

In operation, when front wheels 13 rotate, drive gears 25 and 28 simultaneously turn gear 26, 27 and 29 thereby providing synchronous operation for both shaft 19 of the inner drum 16 and shaft 30 for pulleys 31, 32 of the support member ejection mechanism. Electric motor 12 sustains the rotation of previously mentioned gears and pinion and thereby causes driven gear 26 to rotate and remove a pipe 18 from the inner drum 16. Simultaneously, pulleys 31, and 32 in conjunction with endless chain 33 initiate the ejection lever 37 to actuate handle 39 for removal of pipe support member 22 as pipe 18 is released from drum 16. Ejection handle 39 in addition to spring 38 is provided with a stopping member (not shown) for holding handle 39 inoperative when there is no need for ejecting support members 22.

It will also be noted that each of support members 22 are provided with a cutout 43 for securing pipes 18 therein. In addition, said pipes may be telescopically secured to each other for constructing a simulated pipe-line.

What I now claim is:

1. A battery operated pipe-laying toy truck comprising a truck frame with wheels, a cylinder shaped outer drum positioned on the truck body, an inner drum within said cylinder shaped drum provided with a plurality of slots positioned therein, a drive mechanism operatively connected to said inner drum for turning said inner drum around its axis, a plurality of pipes positioned within said slots, the bottom portion of said cylinder shaped drum having a slot and a guidance chute secured thereto for removal of one of said pipes from said cylinder shaped drum when said inner drum slot is turned by said drive mechanism in direct alignment with the slot of said cylinder shaped drum, a plurality of pipe support members, a housing within said truck frame, said housing having openings therein for removeably securing said pipe support members, an ejection mechanism on said frame operatively connected to said drive mechanism for ejecting said support members :from said housing simultaneously with the ejection of one of said pipes from said inner drum.

2. The truck toy according to claim 1, wherein said drive mechanism includes an electric motor driven by said batteries, a first shaft extending outwardly from said electric motor, a gear arrangement adapted to be driven by said first shaft, said gear arrangement comprising: a first gear operably secured to said first shaft, a second gear operably communicating with said first gear, said second gear being supported in a rotatable manner by means of a second shaft, said shaft being adapted to rotate said inner drum in accordance with the rotation of said driven gear.

3. The truck toy according to claim 2, including a third gear secured to said first shaft, said third gear drivingly engaging a fourth idler gear, said idler gear engaging a fifth gear, a third shaft rotatably supporting said fifth gear, a ,pulley of said ejection mechanism secured to said third shaft, and actuating means between said pulley and said ejection mechanism adapted to activate said ejection mechanism.

4. The truck toy according to claim 1, wherein said ejection mechanism includes at least a pair of pulleys rotatably mounted on said truck frame, the peripheral edges of each of said pulleys having toothlike configurations, an endless chain adapted to connect said pulleys, an

ejection rod secured to said chain, said ejection mechanism including an ejection lever and a push out handle pivotally mounted to said frame, said handle being pivotally connected to said lever by means of a balancing pin, a spring member secured to said handle and said truck frame for 5 retracting said handle, said handle being adapted to eject one of said support members upon pivoting of said lever in accordance with the predetermined movements of said chain.

5. The truck toy according to claim 1, wherein said housing is provided With an opening for ejection of said support member, a second opening for admitting said handle of said ejection mechanism to enter into said housing and a resilient element Within said housing for urging said support members toward said openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,540,317 2/1951 Baggott. 2,844,911 7/1958 Smith 46-40 2,981,031 4/ 1961 Bonanno 46243 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

10 SETH NATTER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 46-243 

1. A BATTERY OPERATED PIPE-LAYING TOY TRUCK COMPRISING A TRUCK FRAME WITH WHEELS, A CYLINDER SHAPED OUTER DRUM POSITIONED ON THE TRUCK BODY, AN INNER DRUM WITHIN SAID CYLINDER SHAPED DRUM PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SLOTS POSITIONED THEREIN, A DRIVE MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID INNER DRUM FOR TURNING SAID INNER DRUM AROUND ITS AXIS, A PLURALITY OF PIPES POSITIONED WITHIN SAID SLOTS, THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER SHAPED DRUM HAVING A SLOT AND A GUIDANCE CHUTE SECURED THERETO FOR REMOVAL OF ONE OF SAID PIPES FROM SAID CYLINDER SHAPED DRUM WHEN SAID INNER DRUM SLOT IS TURNED BY SAID DRIVE MECHANISM IN DIRECT ALIGNMENT WITH THE SLOT OF SAID CYLINDER SHAPED DRUM, A PLURALITY OF PIPE SUPPORT MEMBERS, A HOUSING WITHIN SAID TRUCK FRAME, SAID HOUSING HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN FOR REMOVEABLY SECURING SAID PIPE SUPPORT MEMBERS, AN EJECTION MECHANISM ON SAID FRAME OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE MECHANISM FOR EJECTING SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS FROM SAID HOUSING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE EJECTION OF ONE OF SAID PIPES FROM SAID INNER DRUM. 